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Friday, 11 November 2011

Prepare for another bloated lets-see-how-many-pictures-I-can-fit-into-one-post exercise. To anyone reading this on your phone, I'm so sorry.

Addiction Dewy Glow Foundation (5 shades, ¥4725 for 30ml)
This was released in September 2011 and is Addiction's version of the moisturising, radiant foundations prevalent in Japanese autumn/winter collections. It provides SPF20 PA++ (bah) and contains rose centifolia extract and rosehip oil to boost moisture. Fragrance-free.
Nice hefty frosted glass jar, with a black screw-top lid. Very NARS, right down to the no-frills gaping-hole dispenser.

It takes care of my blotchiness and minor imperfections (forehead marks) with concealer still needed under eyes and over the worst of the redness around nose, lips and cheeks if we're shooting for flawless; I would call this good, medium coverage.
The most impressive aspect of this foundation is the genuinely weightlessfeel and perfectly-balanced texture. My dry skin means that most foundations (e.g. Nars Sheer Glow, MUFE Face and Body, Chantecaille Future Skin) set almost immediately and start dragging and refusing to blend smoothly. The rich cream formulas I find most comfortable (Suqqu Frame Fix Cream, RMS Beauty 'Un' Cover-Up, Laura Mercier Silk Creme) are too emollient and full-coverage to be slapped on quickly; while I personally find it quite soothing to 'feel' them on my face throughout the day in London winters, they are a no-go in summer and tropical/humid/hot climates like Hong Kong. Addiction hits the sweet spot -- it has enough slip to be extremely blendable but once set, it feels like bare skin both to wear and to touch.
On my dry skin, it doesn't offer much dew or glow but gives a balanced satiny, skin-like finish which does not change or budge through a fourteen-hour day, without powder.

KATE Art Dial Mascara (¥1680) More details on their site.
You may know that I'm a big fan of both KATE eye products (liners, shadows, brow stuff) and weirdness so when I spotted this new mascara on sale in a Tokyo drugstore, I pounced.
Consists of a dainty, flexible rubbery comb applicator atop a sleek plastic click-tube full of glossy black lash-juice.

The click-mechanism works very well (and sounds satisfyingly clicky. I hate it when clicks are all miserly and muted) -- no extra product continues to ooze out after you stop turning the dial.

My eye with Addiction Horizon on lid, Concrete Jungle in outer v/crease, Deep Forest smudged over KATE gel liner BK-1 to line the upper lashline and Silent Scream on its own to line the lower. Lashes curled with Chanel curler.

With one coat of KATE Art Dial mascara (and flash)

Lashes are thickened, a glossy black, and more defined. Look not for curl, the curl is gone. Yeah. Dealbreaker for me. If you have naturally curly lashes or ones which don't wilt from 95% of mascaras, this is worth a try. The applicator is very well designed and user-friendly and it really does allow you to coat on as much mascara as you want without layering or clumping. No fibres as far as I could tell. I experienced no smudging, fading or irritation, but a little flaking -- and that could purely be because I committed the cardinal sin of re-curling AFTER mascara.

With mascara, recurled

Shouldn't have bothered. By lunchtime they were poker-straight again, and by the end of the day:

artificial light+flash

(but hey, look how vibrant and in-place those Addiction eyeshadows still are!)

And here's the full-face at the end of the day. I look Dewier-Glowier (and sallowier) not because the foundation changed, but because the lighting did.

(artificial light+flash)

Review written on day 3 in-a-row of wearing this foundation. I'm normally sensitive to alcohol in any quantity, so we'll see. Cross some appendages for me, because it looks beautiful on.

8 comments:

Thank you so much for the reviews - I've been waiting impatiently for your comments on the Addiction foundation (an coincidentally also for reviews on the new Kate mascara - you always get the stuff I am interested in. :D) I've hesitated to order Addiction face products because I was afraid the lightest shade would be too dark, but this looks perfect! I see an Addiction order coming in my near future. What do you think about the Addiction TM and the concealers? And are you going to review the Lunasol concealers soon? :*

Wow, thanks for this review!I was dying to read a review on Kose Addiction's new foundation. I have similar skintype as yours and I can see it working so beautifully on you. It looks worth the investment.Yeh, when the mascara cannot hold the curl it's a dealbreaker for me as well :D

I was waiting for the review. on cosme the reviews were so-so. you look really great with this foundation on, it photographs really amazing! I like your dewy look as well! I have the same problem with my lashes, majolica is the only one that holds my curl all day :(. these eyeshadows look amazing on you!!! I saw them on another blog and I was really *nah, not good, will not purchase* but here they look so nice and even, lol! you look amazing and I LOVE your nose :D *did I say that before? you have the most 'noms' features of all times, you should be a model, even if you need to make THE duck face, lol*

bastet: As if you needed the excuse! :) I didn't try the TM on my face as I could smell the alcohol in that one (it's the 3rd ingredient). It seems very blendable and quite sheer. Reviews on the Lunasols to come :)

birkinbeautybag: I really hope it works for you (us both) in the long-term.

haru: thanks! Your reviews have helped me countless times in the past :)

claire: why you cheeky liddle... stop filling my blog with ALL TEH LIES. I do love these e/s though -- Ice Storm and Poetic are more sheer but the others are very pigmented and effortless to apply.

Lizzie: I didn't think it was tubing as those ironically do manage to hold my curl (hate them in every other respect, natch) and the back of the box said to remove with mu remover, not warm water... more research needed!

I'm in love with all the Aurora shadows! Some blackened Addictions are tricky/disappointing but Pink Python and Deep Forest both rock.